Stay alert: Hurricane season isn't over yet

Here's a quick look at today's weather forecast for Montgomery and the surrounding areas.
Wochit

This satellite image released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Ophelia, top center, on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017, at 21:00 UTC. Hurricane season isn't officially over until Nov. 30.(Photo11: AP)

Phil Klotzbach, a tropical meteorologist at Colorado State University, uses a system called the Accumulated Cyclone Energy index, which rates the wind speed of tropical storms or hurricanes throughout their existence. It also cumulatively figures in the duration, number and strength of those storms during a season. Klotzbach has this pegged as the seventh-worst Atlantic hurricane season on record.

The past 10 weeks have been particularly troublesome, as people in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands will vouch. Ten consecutive tropical disturbances have reached hurricane status during that time frame. By the time one dissipates, another materializes with the regularity of a clock striking noon or midnight.

No. 10, Ophelia, actually moved west to east and fizzled below hurricane status before hitting Ireland of all places.

So what's the prospective disappointment for those saying — and we'll chime in — "enough already?"

Meteorologists point out that the Atlantic hurricane season actually doesn't end until Nov. 30 — a little less than a month-and-a-half away — and the atmosphere is likely to remain conducive to storm development for a while yet — maybe until that date is checked off the calendar, if not a little longer.

An AccuWeather analyst noted that the waters in tropical and subtropical regions — most tropical storms form in the Caribbean — remain warm, thanks to a persistent area of high pressure off the southeastern Atlantic coast. Along with holding in the warmth, the airflows created by that high's rotation help propel storms through the water and toward any land masses — coastlines or islands — that have the misfortune to be in their path.

The Accuweather analyst expects two more tropical storms to form before things finally wind down, both of which could become hurricanes. He said at least one could reach Category 3 or stronger status.

So, how should people in hurricane-prone areas — and places like Etowah County, close enough to the Gulf coastline to be wary — react to that news?

It's simple, and not a bit different than the standard operating procedure in any hurricane season. Don't panic or obsess about things — plenty of hurricanes wind up troubling no one but fish — keep up with what's happening and have a plan should a tropical storm or hurricane head your way.

The same advice will be operative in November and December — Alabama's secondary tornado season. (Those are the state's No. 3 and No. 5 months, respectively, for tornado activity.)

Just pay attention and be prepared. Those words sound simple, but carry plenty of weight.